Adjustable thermometer-holder for incubators, sprouting-trays, drawers, and other receptacles.



J. E. RDHAN. ADJUSTABLE THERMOMETYER HOLDER FOR INCUBATORS, SPROUTING TRAYS, DRAWERS,

AND OTHER RECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION F LED NOV. 23, I914.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

wUHnIzooe/o COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON, D. c7

JOHN E. ROHAN, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN,

ADJUSTABLE THERMOMETER-I-IGLDER FUR INCUBATORS, SPROUTING-TBAYS, DRAWERS, AND OTHER RECEPTACLES.

Application filed November 23, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN E. RonAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Thermometer-Holders for Incubators, Sprouting-Trays, Drawers, and other Receptacles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an adjustable thermometer holder for incubator o-r sprouting trays, drawers, etc., and has for one of its objects the provision of a support or holder which may be readily attached to or detached from the frame of an incubator or other tray at any point along the sides or ends of the tray.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a support or holder for thermometers used in connection with incubator trays, or sprouting trays, and which may be readily removed out of the way when it is necessary to attend to the contents of the tray.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a support or holder for thermometers which may be readily applied to any tray of well known construction.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an adjustable thermometer holder for incubators, sprouting trays, drawers and other receptacles, which is simple in construction, eiiicient and durable, and which can be manufactured and sold upon the market at a nominal cost.

These and other objects will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is more clearly understood by the description in the following specification, th subject matter of the claims, and the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side View of my invention showing the same as applied to the rail of 'a tray, the rail being shown as partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the invention taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another form of my device showing the same as applied to the rail of a tray, the rail also being shown as partly broken away.

Specification of Letters Batent.

' outer portion of the base 12 Patented Ploy. 3Q, 1915.

Serial No. 873,626.

For the sake of clearness and convenience my invention will be described as applied to the tray of an incubator, however, it is to be understood that the same is equally applicable for use in connection with sprouting trays, or any other device wherein it is necessary to maintain a predetermined degree of temperature and to ascertain the degree of temperature at intervals Referring to the drawings 1 denotes one of the rails of a tray, which may be either the side rails or the end rails thereof, and secured thereon at any suitable and desired point through the means of screws 2, or other suitable fastening means, is the bracket 8 provided with the overhanging lips or lugs 4: which engage the upper surface of the rail 1. the body portion 01 the bracket 3 fitting flush with the side portion of the rail 1.

Formed transversely and centrally of the bracket 3 is the tubular socket 5 provided with the bottom 6, and having its opposite end open, and mounted within the tubular socket 5 of the bracket 3 is the vertically depending pivotal portion 7 of the SU])1)Oli}- ing rod. The supporting rod is formed by bending the rod as at 8 to provide the elongated upwardly inclined body portion 9, the

upper end of which is curved upwardly as at 10 and terminates in a short vertical receiving end 11, the receivino end 11 and the curved portion 10 forming a seat for supporting the thermometer.

The thermometer comprises the base 12, which may be of metal or other suitable material and which base is provided with the graduations 13 and the mercury tube and bulb 15 suitably secured thereon. Ihe base 12, which is preferably formed of metal is provided with the upper laterally extending flange 16 and the lower flange 17. Through the flange 16 adjacent the upper end of the thermometer is formed the aperture 18, and centrally through the base adjacent the upper end of the thermometer is formed the slightly elongated aperture 19, the apertures 18 and 19 being so positioned relative to each other that the receiving end 11 and the curved portion 10 of the supporting rod are readily passed through the apertures 18 and 19 for retaining and supporting the thermometer thereon, the around the aperture 19 embracing the body portion 9 of the supporting rod at a point just below the curved portion 10 while the portion of the flange 16 which surrounds the aperture 18 embraces the receiving end 11 at a point just above the curved portion 10. This manner of mounting the thermometer upon the receivin g end of the supporting rod will maintain the thermometer in a downwardly inclined position longitudinally of its length thus positioning the bulb of the mercury tube in such manner that the bulb may be placed between and adjacent certain of the eggs in the center of the tray, and at the same time the thermometer is slightly inclined in the transverse direction thereof for presenting the face of the thermometer in a position wherein the temperature can be more readily ascertained.

The supporting rod has its pivotal end 7 rotatably mounted within the tubular socket 5 of the bracket 8, with its end resting upon the bottom 6 of the tubular socket 5 and by this construction the supporting rod with the thermometer suspended from the receiving end thereof is capable of being swung outwardly from within the tray and positioned at the outer side thereof for removing the thermometer out of the way when it is necessary to turn the eggs contained within the tray, and after the turning operation may be readily swung inwardly with the bulb of the thermometer resting upon an egg at the center of the tray. If it should be desired to remove the support and the thermometer from the tray, instead of swinging the same outwardly when it is necessary to attend to the contents of the tray the support and the thermometer may be entirely removed from the tubular socket 5 of the bracket 3 as the piv otal end 7 is sufficiently loosely mounted within the socket to permit of the removal of its support therefrom.

The structure shown in Fig. 3 shows a slightly modified form of my invention wherein the rail of the tray, as indicated at 20, has mounted thereon the bracket 21 secured upon one side of the rail 20 through the medium of the screws 22 or other sultable fastening means. The bracket 21 is provided with the laterally extending flange 23, the flange 23 overlapping and resting upon the upper surface of the rail 20. The central portion of the bracket 21 is slitted longitudinally of its length, the slits being in parallel relation to each other and the portion therebetween being struck up outwardly to provide the cleat 24 for receiving the flattened depending end 25 of the supporting rod. This rod is bent as at 26 to form the elongated upwardly inclined body portion 27, the free end of the supporting rod being bent as at 28 to provide the up wardly extending and flattened receiving end 2.9. The receiving end 29 of the supporting rod is embraced by the cleat 30 of the thermometer 31, which thermometer is provided with the graduations 32 and the mercury tube and bulb 33 secured thereon. The cleat 30 is formed adjacent the upper right hand corner of the thermometer 31 by forming two parallel slits for a distance and striking up the portions therebetween to provide the cleat 30, the cleat 30 in this instance being positioned upon the thermometer 31 in oblique direction from the upper right hand corner toward the lower left hand corner, and this manner of'positioning the cleat formed in the upper end of the thermometer 31 provides for. the downward inclination of the thermometer along its longitudinal length, as well as slightly inclining the thermometer transversely. These inclinations of the thermometer place the bulb against the egg or eggs in the center of the tray, and also present the faceof the thermometer in a position forreadily ascertaining the temperature of the contents within the tray when the thermometer is suspended upon the sup.- porting rod by the cleat 30 embracing the receiving end 29 of the supporting rod. In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the thermometer and its support are capable of being readily removed from within the tray, when it becomes necessary to attend to the contents therein, by withdrawing the end 25 of the supporting rod from within the cleat 24 of the bracket 2l, after which the thermometer and its support may be readily restored to their operative positions by inserting the end 25 within the cleat 24 of the bracket 21, thus placing the bulb of the thermometer in its proper position upon'the egg or eggs in the center of the tray.

While my invention can be efficiently used in connection with sprouting trays, or

other receptacles wherein the temperature within the same is to be ascertained, it is preferably designed for use in connection with incubators, and one of the special objects of my invention is so mounting the thermometer upon an incubator, that it will be impossible for the thermometer to be knocked over or out of place by the young chicks at the hatching period. 1

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 7 1. The combination with a receptacle, and a thermometer therefor, of an angular bracket secured upon the side of saidreceptacle and overlapping the upper edge of said side, means for securing said bracket upon said receptacle, an obliquely disposed supporting rod, having a receiving end for said thermometer, and a retaining end, and means upon said bracket for loosely seating the retaining end of said supporting rod, whereby to provide for the positioning of-said supporting rod and said thermometer within or without said receptacle when desired.

2. The combination with a receptacle, and a thermometer therefor, of an angular bracket secured upon the side of said receptacle and overlapping the upper edge of said side, means for securing said bracket upon said receptacle, an obliquely disposed supporting rod, having a receiving end, there being an engaging end upon said thermometer, said receiving end of said supporting rod and said engaging end of said thermometer being formed in a manner for positioning said thermometer in downwardly inclined position within said receptacle, there being a retaining end upon said supporting rod, and means upon said bracket for loosely seating the retaining end of said supporting rod, whereby to provide for the positioning of said supporting rod and said thermometer 1n its inclined position within or without said receptacle when desired.

3. Means for supporting a thermometer within a receptacle, comprising a bracket secured upon said receptacle and having an angular portion overhanging the upper edge of said receptacle, a receiving means on said bracket, and a supporting rod having an upturned end for receiving the thermometer, and a downturned end supported in said receiving means upon said bracket, whereby to dispose said supporting rod obliquely within said receptacle for positioning the thermometer therein.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN E. ROHAN.

Witnesses:

GEO. E. DAVIES, FRANK A. OLsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

